A shortfall in funding to research pancreatic cancer has led to survival rates
remaining largely unchanged in 40 years, a charity is warning.

Every year 7,900 people die of the disease in Britain, making it the country’s fifth most deadly form of cancer. It is usually only discovered when the cancer has spread to other organs and is terminal. Only three per cent survive for at least five years past diagnosis.

Yet research funding it woefully short compared to other cancers like those of the breast and prostate, which kill about 11,600 and 10,700 annually.

Pancreatic Cancer UK has calculated that the disease only attracts a sixth of the funding per death, that breast cancer does - £553 compared to £3,613.

The charity wants to spending on research to double by 2015 to £10 million a year, bringing it roughly into line with research spend on bowel and prostate cancer.

Alex Ford, chief executive, said: “We are committed to working with others to double survival rates for pancreatic cancer patients in the UK.